This invention relates to games, and more particularly, to electronic games for simulating the play of card games. The invention is an improvement on the invention of U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 108,880, filed Dec. 31, 1979, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,336, entitled ELECTRONIC CARD GAME SIMULATOR, assigned to the assignee of this invention.
People appear to have been involved in the playing of games since the beginning of recorded history. The almost universal interest in games seems to be due to the excitement engendered by competition, chance, and the increased return to a player as his skill increases.
Competitive games are more exciting, other factors being equal; but, of course, they require that more than one person be involved in each such game.
Recently, various improvements in electronic circuitry have allowed the reduction of circuit size and have led to electronic circuits which simulate the play of a competitor in certain well known games. In these electronic games, a person plays against an electronic competitor thereby eliminating the necessity for other players. The first of these games to be devised were quite expensive and required a television set for a display.
A number of portable electronic games have recently been devised by which a person may play a particular simulated sports game such as football or basketball. These portable games have their own built-in displays and are much less expensive, in general, than those which must be connected to a television set. Furthermore, their small size allows them to be carried about and used almost anywhere. However, these portable electronic games have relatively small displays, contain a limited amount of circuitry, and must be powered by battery. Consequently, the portable electronic games heretofore devised have been relatively unsophisticated. For example, many portable electronic games do not allow the actual play of the game but only of a game which imitates the actual game in broad outline.
It is, consequently, an object of this invention to provide a new and improved electronic card game simulator.
It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved electronic game capable of simulating the play of a hand in the game of Gin Rummy and of recording and displaying the results of the game.
It is another object of this invention to provide an electronic Gin Rummy game operable at different skill levels.